Mess, Mass Stress, And Mindfulness: Coping With A Home Renovation

Whether you’ve just bought a new home, or you are making significant changes to your space, renovation is one of those things that can be a mammoth task. Whether you decided to take on a lot of it yourself, or you’re getting hired help, or a combination of the two, you can’t underestimate how stressful it is. Coping with renovation stress is an underestimated component. A lot of people think that setting up their perfect home is motivation enough, and they won’t succumb to stress, but when the months drag on, and it feels like the project is never ending, this is when the stress can creep in. So, what are the things you can do to minimize this?

Picking Your Battles

When it comes to major renovation work, this is something that goes on for a long time. Instead of deciding to completely gut the house from top to bottom, start by choosing which room you’d like to do first. Instead of having the whole house completely renovated at the same time, if you pick one room, and gradually go through the house like this, this will save you money, but it will also make the house liveable. The big thing we can underestimate as far as renovations are concerned is that practical aspect of living. If the bathroom is being renovated, and you don’t have running water, this means that you’ll have to go and spend a few days somewhere else. And if problems continue, this can make you very miserable. Doing one thing at a time is the best approach.

Choosing Recommended Contractors

Undertaking renovation work is expensive, and as such, we will try to get the cheapest suppliers. But regardless of what you’re doing, it’s not about money, but it’s about being happy with the end product. When you’re making renovations to a space like the kitchen, it’s a combination of finding the right materials, with the right contractor that can do it for you. If you’re trying to communicate a modern kitchen, suppliers like World Stone Group provide granite and quartz countertops and can work with you to realize your vision. But you have to decide on contractors and suppliers that can be recommended. This can mean asking around, but it’s also about that idea of trust with the contractor. There are so many cowboy builders out there, they can leave you in the lurch, which costs money, but also leaves your home unfinished, causing so much stress.

Constant Communication

You need to know what you want, and this means a lot of planning before any of the contractors come. Once you have a distinct vision of what you need from your home, that’s when you’ve got to stick to the plan. But things can change on occasion, and this is why you have to be in constant contact with the contractors. It’s important for them that you don’t change your mind all the time, but also, being open to last-minute changes for practicality’s sake. One good example would be if there are safety issues in knocking down a load bearing wall. But this means you have to have a good relationship with the contractor. In one respect, you can leave them to get on with it, but that’s only if you have a very clear vision of what you want, and it’s been mapped out completely.

Taking Breaks

It’s a long process, and it can be a very stressful one. If you are living with mess, rubble, and building equipment all around, this can impact your state of mind. It’s important that you take time away. You may feel that you’ve got to get the project done by a certain time so you can all enjoy it, but things change, contractors run into problems, and this means that your deadline is pushed back further and further. This can be a very stressful thing to undergo, and this is why you have to make sure you spend time away from the situation. By getting away from it all it gives you a new perspective. And in fact, it can be a very good thing, because if the builders are trying to get stuff done, and you are there observing their every move, this doesn’t make for a very fruitful relationship. So, by actually getting away from the house, leaving the builders to it, and also having a break yourself, this will mean you come back to it with a fresher pair of eyes and a renewed sense of enthusiasm.

Taking Each Day As It Comes

Stress is not a very productive thing. And this is stating the obvious, but when we put pressure on ourselves to get this renovation done, we can feel ourselves crumbling, like that bag of rubble in the corner. We have to learn to take each day as it comes, because deadlines will move, things will come up that can’t be fixed right away, and rather than stressing about it, it’s far better to think about the bigger picture, and ensuring that you are doing what you can to go in the right direction. In one respect, this is why renovating one room at a time is more manageable, financially, and in terms of your stress levels. But if you are undertaking the whole renovation, it’s important that you have the end goal in sight. We can always feel very underwhelmed because it takes so long, and this slowly begins to chip away at our sense of accomplishment. Take it as it comes, and learn specific stress reduction techniques. Because your money is invested in this, and this is your home, you can feel like there’s no escape from stress and anxiety. Change your mindset in this respect and it will help you.

It is a mammoth task, and it’s something that can break up relationships, cause debt, and a huge pile of misery. But this doesn’t mean that you should give up on the dream of your perfect home. Compromises do have to be made, and a lot of money can be spent. But if you have a view of the final product, this can be the thing to keep you going. It is a lot of mess, and it can be a lot of misery, but it can be a magical home.

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Welcome to my sanctuary! I am writing from the heart of the Silicon Valley. My Charmed Mom is a brainchild of my explorations as a mom and wife. This blog encompasses product reviews and worthwhile featured posts about so many things-causes, events, travel and experiences.